Medical-tablet container



Aug. 7. 1928. 1.680.130

B. F. CONNER IKDICAL TABLI'I COIIAIIII P1106 larch 17, 192'! Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,680,130 PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. CONNER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO COLTS PATENT ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MEDICAL-TABLET CONTAINER.

Application filed March 17, 1927. Serial No. 176,231.

The invention relates to a container, particularly adapted for medical tablets, which may be of such size as to adapt 1t to be conveniently carried in the pocket of the user,

which is so constructed as to ermit one or two tablets to be easilv removed without 1n my disturbdng the others, which presents a pleasing and attractive appearance, and which has other advantages. Such a container is set forth in the copending application of Benjamin F. Conner and William F. Schmalz for medical tablet container Serial No. 176,230 filed March 17, 1927. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a container of this type adapted to be constructed from sheet metal at low cost.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one embodiment of the invention but it will be understood that the drawing is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as limiting or defining the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective yiew of a container embodying the inventlon.

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the 30 container turned on its side so as to show the bottom.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 to 7 are detail perspective views showlng respectively the main parts of the container.

As in the construction shown in the aforesaid copending application a container embodying the present invention includes a body member and a cover member pivotally connected therewith, each of these members being so designed as to be capable of belng conveniently formed from sheet metal.

The body member may be variously formed but I prefer to construct it from two separate elements, that is, a bottom 1 and a compartment forming str1p 2. The bottom 1 is in the form of a circular disc and it preferably has an upturned annular lip 3 at its periphery. Preferably an annular portion of the body is raised, thus providing an annular groove 3 adjacent the lip 3. The strip 2 is bent to the form shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 6 so as to form a plurality of separate compartments 4. The ends of the strip 2 are suitably joined as shown at 5 by soldering or by prick punching or in any other suitable or preferred way. The strip 2 may be connected with the bottom 1 by soldering as indicated, for example, at 6, 6. When the strip 2 is assembled with the bottom 1 as shown the said compartments are uniformly spaced 5 from the axis of the body. Each of the compartments 4 is adapted to contain at least one of the tablets or other articles for which the container is adapted and as illustrated each compartment is ada ted to contain two tablets as. indicated at A. Each of the compartments 4 is closed at the bottom by means of the bottom element 1 and each of them is open at at least one side. As shown each of them is open at two sides, that Is, at the top and at the periphery of the body.

The cover for the container is indicated at 7, this cover being pivotally connected with the body so as to be rotatable about the axis thereof. The cover 7 is adapted to close the open side or sides of each of the compartments 4 and when the said compartments are open at the periphery as shown the cover is provided with an annular skirt 8 which surrounds and substantially engages the outer portions of the said strip 2. TW said skirt en a es the botto 11 pro erably fits within the -scearys 0 e 0 en sie o any one of the compartments 4 so as to permit the removal through the said opening 05 of one of the tablets or other articles from its compartment. When ,s are open at the periphery as shown and p ei plerm as shown at 9. t w en t e opening is opposite a compartment 4 the arti-' cle or articles in the compartment can be easily removed through the opening. When the opening is thus opposite one of the compartments each of the other compartments is closed by the skirt 8 so that the articles therein are not only held in place but are also protected.

Preferably the several compartments 4,

1 formed by the strip 2 are not uniformly spaced throughout but are so spaced as to leave a cylindrical segment of the strip between two of them, this segment having a width at least approximating the width of each compartment. The width of the said cylindrical segment 10 is such that it entirely closes the said opening 9 when the opening is brought opposite the said segment as shown in Fig. 2. \Vith the parts in the re.ative positions shown in this figure all of the compartments are closed and the articles therein are protected and at the same time the container presents a pleasing appearance, the finished surface of the segment 10 serving to neatly close the opening 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

As concerns the details of the pivotal connecting means between the body and the cover, there may be considerable variation. I have shown, however, a pivotal element 11 extending through a central hole in the cover and having a head 12 which is located in a central recess 13 formed in the cover. The element 11 extends through a central hole in the bottom 1 and terminates in a recess 14 in the said bottom. The lower end portion of the element 11 is riveted over as shown at 15 so as to engage the bottom and prevent separation. It will be observed that inasmuch as the skirt 8 engages the bottom and fits within the groove 3 the said cover and the said bottom are thus held in proper operative relationship relative transverse movement being prevented, the function of the pivotal element 11 being merely to prevent vertical separation of the members.

Preferably in order that the body and the cover may be conveniently rotated with relation to each other the bottom is provided with serrations or corrugations as shown at 16 and the skirt of the cover is provided with7 serrations or corrugations as shown at 1 What I claim is:

1. In a container for medical tablets and similar articles, the combination of a body comprising a substantially flat circular sheet metal bottom and a sheet metal means projecting upward from the bottom and forming a plurality of separate similar compartments uniformly spaced from the axis of the body each of the said compartments being substantially closed at the bottom and open at its outer side and being adapted to contain at least one of the said articles, and a sheet metal top cover pivotally connected with the body for movement about "he axis thereof and having an annular skirt surrounding and approximately engaging the peripheral portions of the sheet metal means forming the compartments, the said skirt having an opening therein adapted to he brought into register with any one of the said compartments and of sufficient size to permit the removal therethrough of one of the said articles from its compartment and the said skirt serving when the opening is in register with one compartment to close all of the other compartments.

2. In a container for medical tablets and similar articles, the combination of a substantially flat circular sheet metal bottom, a sheet metal strip engaging the bottom and bent to form a plurality of separate similar compartments uniformly spaced from the axis of the bottom, each of the said compartments being substantially closed at the bottom and open at its outer side and bemg adapted to contain at least one Of the said articles, and a sheet metal top cover pivotally connected with the bottom for movement about the axis thereof and having an annular skirt surrounding and approximately engaging the peripheral portions of the sheet metal stri forming the compartments, the said skirt aving an opening therein adapted to be brought into register with any one of the said compartments and of sulficient size to permit the removal therethrough of one of the said articles from its compartment and the said skirt serving when the opening is in register with one compartment to close all of the other compartments.

3. In a container for medical tablets and similar articles, the combination of a substantially flat circular sheet metal bottom, a sheet metal strip engaging the bottom and bent to form a plurality of separate similar compartments uniformly spaced from the axis of the bottom and having a cylindrical segment between two of them, each recess being substantially closed at the bottom and open at its outer side and being adapted to contain at least one of the said articles and the said segment having a width at least approximating the width of each compartment, and a sheet metal top cover pivotally connected with the body for movement about the axis thereof and having an annular skirt surrounding and approximately engaging the sheet metal means forming the compartments, the said skirt having an opening therein adapted to be brought into register with any one of the said compartments and of size as to permit the removal therethrough of one of the said articles from its compartment while the other compartments are closed by the said skirt and of such size as to be entirely closed by the cylindrical seg ment when in register therewith.

4. In an container for medical tablets and similar articles, the combination of a body comprising a substantially flat circular sheet metal bottom having an upturned annular lip at its periphery and a sheet metal means projecting upward from the bottom and forming a plurality of separate similar compartments uniformly spaced from the axis of the body, each of the said compartments being substantially closed at the bottom and open at its outer side and being adapted to contain at least one of the said articles, and a sheet metal top cover pivotally connected with the body for movement about the axis thereof and having an annular skirt surrounding and approximately engaging peripheral portions of the sheet metal means 10 forming the compartments and fitting within the lip on the bottom, the said skirt having an opening therein adapted to be brought into register with any one of the said compartments and of sufiicient size to permit the removal therethrough of one of the said articles from its compartment and the said skirt serving when the opening is in register with one compartment to close all of the other compartments.

BENJAMIN F. CONNER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,680,l30. Granted August 7, 1928, to

BENJAMIN F. CONNER.

It is hereby certified that the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing Company," whereas said assignee should have been described and specified as "Colt'a Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company", as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of October, A. D. 1928.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

